Idaho immigrants detained in raid moved far from home — and from their attorneys

Many undocumented immigrants arrested at an Idaho racetrack are being detained in Nevada and other states, making it harder for attorneys and family to find them

Indigenous Affairs

Most children charged as adults in Washington are youth of color

More than 80% of children charged as adults in state court are not white, data shows

Guarded by Predators

Idaho prison system calls for strengthened sexual abuse law in response to InvestigateWest series

The Department of Correction also plans to update its staff sexual misconduct policy and better educate inmates on their rights

Public Health

Allegations against Washington gender-affirming surgeon stir fears of backlash for trans patients

Former employees and patients describe ethical lapses, shoddy records and worse at cosmetic surgery clinic — raising concerns about oversight in the booming industry

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Guarded by Predators

Idaho prison system reopens sexual abuse case, reverses finding after InvestigateWest reporting

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Oregon, WA lawsuit challenges Trump administration overhaul to federal homeless housing grant program

Government

Oregon promised better access to doulas and lactation care. Birth workers say they still can’t get paid

Guarded by Predators

7 reforms Idaho could make to address sexual abuse by prison staff

Indigenous Affairs

Native American kids less likely than others in WA to be offered second chance in juvenile court, data shows

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WA health department investigating Spokane hospital after girl’s suicide sparked public outcry

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Bird flu is racing through farms, but Northwest states are rarely testing workers

Farmworker advocates, health experts say more robust monitoring needed to prevent spread of illness

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Guarded by Predators

Idaho prison system calls for strengthened sexual abuse law in response to InvestigateWest series

The Department of Correction also plans to update its staff sexual misconduct policy and better educate inmates on their rights

Guarded by Predators

Idaho prison system reopens sexual abuse case, reverses finding after InvestigateWest reporting

Guarded by Predators

7 reforms Idaho could make to address sexual abuse by prison staff

Guarded by Predators

Idaho leaders urged to address systemic failures following prison abuse reports

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State of Democracy

Idaho’s latest anti-drag crusade began with a falsehood, lawsuit says

Idaho Family Policy Center president Blaine Conzatti discusses his efforts to end abortion in Idaho on an episode of pastor

State of Democracy

For and by Christians: How Idaho’s influential Christian Nationalist group wants to reshape the state

Department of Homeland Security officers deploy crowd control munitions, including tear gas, at a demonstration outside the

State of Democracy

Bullies or demonstrators? How court records are describing Portland’s ICE protests

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek speaks during a signing ceremony in Washington, Feb. 23, 2024.

State of Democracy

Lawmakers, Secretary of State back delaying 2024 Oregon campaign finance law from taking effect

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Public Health

Allegations against Washington gender-affirming surgeon stir fears of backlash for trans patients

Public Health

Pregnant Oregonians need more addiction and mental health support — but the state’s network is fragile

Public Health

Oregon abandons Medicaid expansion for people leaving prison, months after delaying launch

Public Health

A rural Oregon town lost its maternity ward. As Trump’s Medicaid cuts loom, other hospitals may be next

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Domestic Violence

Many Washington counties aren’t verifying if accused domestic abusers are turning over their guns

While some counties are devoting money to track down guns, others rely on the honor system to ensure firearms are turned over

Indigenous Affairs

Most children charged as adults in Washington are youth of color

More than 80% of children charged as adults in state court are not white, data shows

Indigenous Affairs

Native American kids less likely than others in WA to be offered second chance in juvenile court, data shows

Indigenous Affairs

Native American children significantly more likely to be arrested, detained in Washington

Indigenous Affairs

Northwest Native Nations could lose hundreds of millions in federal funding, report says

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Criminal Justice

‘Make it make sense’: Advocates stunned as WA lawmaker helps slash funds for groups clearing old drug convictions

Criminal Justice

How a WA prison turned a treatable ailment into a death sentence

Criminal Justice

Allegations of sex abuse, misused church dollars against WA priest divide parish

Criminal Justice

Sheriff candidate in small WA county faces claims of domestic violence, dishonesty

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Climate

Developers’ tree-cutting pace surges under contested Seattle tree protection ordinance

Climate

In wildfire-prone Washington, ‘collaboration’ on forest management gives way to timber interests

Sandy Shettler, from Tree Action Seattle, speaks to a crowd in February 2024 in front of Astra, a 100-year-old Western Red

Climate

Seattle claims to ‘protect’ hundreds of trees that were never threatened

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will being recreating a key program meant to reduce the state’s overall

Climate

Oregon begins rewriting landmark climate program derailed by gas lawsuit

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Immigration

Idaho immigrants detained in raid moved far from home — and from their attorneys

Many undocumented immigrants arrested at an Idaho racetrack are being detained in Nevada and other states, making it harder for attorneys and family to find them

Immigration

Help us investigate how Trump’s immigration orders are impacting the Pacific Northwest

Immigration

Ukrainian immigrants becoming collateral damage in Trump administration’s immigration war

Immigration

Local officials aren’t concerned about accusations of racism against an Idaho sheriff, despite calls for accountability

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Human Trafficking

Hannah Power was commercially sexually exploited by a man she met on Tinder when she was a minor, she said.

Human Trafficking

Seattle-area man who allegedly trawled dating sites for victims charged with sex trafficking

Jay is within a minority of sexual assault survivors whose abusers are held criminally accountable. But the plea deal that

Human Trafficking

King County woman’s chance to testify lost as prosecutors opt for plea deal, raising concerns about justice in sexual assault cases

Hannah Power, a survivor of what the police suspect to be child sex trafficking, looks out over the Puget Sound by her home

Human Trafficking

A Washington teen was trafficked by a man she met on Tinder, she says. Two years later, she’s still waiting for justice.

The number of people convicted for sex trafficking in Washington and Oregon has remained low over the last decade as

Human Trafficking

New WA legislation prioritizes human trafficking prosecutions and support for child victims

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Our Team

InvestigateWest’s first Roy W. Howard fellow, Aspen Ford is an award-winning journalist specializing in data-driven and narrative storytelling.

Daniel Walters is the democracy and extremism reporter at InvestigateWest, where he’s written about everything from brawls involving white nationalists in Portland to secretly recorded conversations between politicians and lobbyists in Boise. He joined the organization through Report for America.

Danielle Dawson is a collaborative investigative reporter and Report for America corps member for InvestigateWest, covering eastern and central Oregon.

Jacob Fries is InvestigateWest’s executive director. A lifelong journalist, he’s spent his career mentoring reporters, forging media partnerships and managing deep-dive investigations that exposed injustice and changed laws.

Kaylee Tornay is InvestigateWest's reporter covering labor, youth and health care. A reporter since 2017, she has dedicated herself to rigorous, revelatory journalism that scrutinizes power and equips local communities with knowledge they can use.

Kelsey Turner is an investigative reporter at InvestigateWest. Her reporting has stretched from her home state of New Jersey to Illinois, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Lynnie McIlvain is a creative revenue development professional with a track record of securing six-figure government grants and strong competence in annual and major gifts.

Melanie Henshaw is the Indigenous affairs reporter at InvestigateWest. She covers Indigenous communities in the region, including coverage of tribal sovereignty, health care and the environment.

Moe K. Clark is a collaborative investigative reporter covering Washington state for InvestigateWest. Her position is supported by the Murrow News Fellowship, an initiative of Washington State University which aims to bolster coverage of civic issues in underserved communities around the state.

Rachel Spacek is an investigative reporter covering migrant labor for InvestigateWest through Report for America. She is based in Boise and has covered Latino affairs in Idaho for the last five years.

Thy Vo is an investigative editor with InvestigateWest. She has been a community journalist covering government, politics, courts and immigrant communities in the West for nearly a decade.

Whitney Bryen reports on injustice and vulnerable populations for InvestigateWest. A journalist since 2010, she is dedicated to raising marginalized voices and holding power to account especially at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice.

Wilson Criscione is InvestigateWest’s news and investigations editor. He’s spent more than a decade reporting and supervising major investigations that uncover corruption, misconduct and injustice in the Pacific Northwest.

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